Combination display and drain stand



Feb. 20, 1945. J RICHARDS 2,369,982

COMBINATION DISPLAY AND DRAIN STAND Filed Feb. 15, 1944 Patented Feb. 20, 1945 COMBINATION DISPLAY AND DRAIN STAND ldris J. Richards, Pittsburgh, Pa., asslgnor of onefourth to James R. Snyder, Wilkinsburg, Pa.

Application February 15, 1944, Serial No. 522,488

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a combination display and drain stand intended for use by gasoline filling stations. The stand is designed to support and attractively display a plurality of quart sized sealed cans of motor oil for the obvious purpose of stimulating oil sales, and is further designed for draining and collecting oil remaining and adhering within the cans after the contents has been poured from the latter, to thereby effect a constant and substantial saving producing an appreciable added profit in oil sales.

Important objects and advantages of the invention are to provide a stand of the character described, which may be advantageously employed for displaying a plurality of sealed cans of motor oil, which will support the cans after being emptied in a position to allow drainings from the cans to flow or drip from the latter, which conceals the draining operation so that the latter is not generally discernible to a casual observer, which embodies a common collecting receptacle to receive the drippings from all of the draining cans thereon, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, durable, attractive in appearance, and comparatively economical in its manufacture and profitable in its use.

To the accomplishment of these and such other objects as may herein after appear, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that changes in the form, proportions and details of construction may be resorted to that come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a combination display and drain stand, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the stand.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing a modified form of shelf structure.

Referring in detail to the drawing my improved stand comprises a hollow, vertically disposed shelf structure I supported on a hollow, rectangularly-shaped base 2. The shelf structure includes a front wall 3 and a rear wall 4, which are similar and incline at an angle from the vertical to converge toward their up r ends. The lower ends of the walls 3 and 4 are set inwardly from the front and rear of the top 5 of the base 2, and the converging upper ends of said walls are joined by a flat, horizontally disposed top plate 6.

The shelf structure I and the base 2 include a pair of side closure walls I and 8, which have side projections 9 extending a considerable distance beyond respective front and rear walls 3 and 4 of the shelf structure. The interior of the stand is divided into an upper chamber 10 and a base chamber II by a horizontally disposed partition l2, which is positioned adjacent to the lower ends of the front and rear walls 3 and 4. The side wall 8 is provided with a door l3 allowing access to the base chamber II and to the lower end of the upper chamber Ill. The partition I2 is provided with a wide elongated slot M which opens into the opening of the door IS. A funnel tray I5 is mounted in the slot l4 and is removably supported by the partition l2, and may be removed and replaced through the opening of the door l3.

A plurality of shelves I6 is mounted on each of the walls 3 and 4 of the shelf structure I. The shelves incline transversely at an angle from the horizontal at approximately right angles to respective inclined front and rear walls 3 and 4. The inner portions of the shelves extend through elongated openings ll in respective walls 3 and 4 and project a considerable distance into the upper chamber In. The outer portions of the shelves extend a considerable distance beyond the edges of the projections 9 of respective side walls 1 and 8.

The cans l8 of motor oil to be displayed on the improved stand are arranged upon the shelves [6, and the preferable widths of the latter is such that the outer edges of the shelves are flush with the outer side of the cans. As the shelves Project beyond the edges of the side walls I, 8, the placed cans will likewise project beyond the latter and will be displayed even when the stand is viewed from the side thereof.

When a can of oil is to be emptied the outlet hole is preferably punched in the bottom of the can instead of the top thereof. After the contents has been poured from the can, the latter is replaced upon the shelf. Owing to the inclined position of the shelf, the oil draining from the emptied can will flow upon the shelf and will be directed from the latter into the upper chamber III to drip into the funnel tray l5, from which latter the oil is collected in a removable container l9-positioned in the base chamber II. The obvious purpose of preferably punching the outlet 2 assaasa hole in the can bottom. is to allow the positioning of the draining cans in the upright position instead of upside-down, whereby the draining operations will not be discernible to an observer.

In the modified form of shelf 22, shown in Figure 4, the inner portion 23 thereofv declines at an angle greater than the outer portion thereof. By such shelf construction, a clearance 24 is provided between the bottom of the can and the inner portion 23 of the shelf. The can is placed on the shelf with the bottom hole disposed directly over the clearance 24. The latter permits freer draining action andthe augmented angularity of the shelf poi ion 23 will accelerate the flow of the draining oil from the shelf into the upper chamber is. This modified form of shelf, while more efllcient than the shelf I 6, necessitates more exact can positioning to effect such efilciency.

It is, of course, apparent that the improved stand may be constructed to accommodate any desired number of cans to best meet conditions found in practice. The top plate 6 and the base top may be employed for supporting and displaying additional cans when periodical require ments warrant same.

The stand may be constructed of sheet metal or of any other suitable material, and may be readily transported from place to place by the use of handles 2| secured to respective side walls I and I.

The present invention provides an important service station complement, which may be economically and profitably employed for the purposes and in the manner herein set forth.

What I claim is:

g 1. A combination display and drain stand for oil cans comprising a hollow base structure providing a base chamber, a hollow sheli structure carried by said base structure, said shelf structure providing an upper chamber and including a pair of walls converging toward their upper ends, each of said walls being provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed openings, a partition provided with a slot mounted in said upper chamber and dividing the latter from said base chamber, a plurality of shelves mounted on each of said walls and projecting through respective openinss intosaid upper chamber, said shelves being disposed to direct drainings from the cans through respective openings into said upper chamber, a receptacle mounted in said slot and being removably supported on said partition for collecting the draininzs from said shelves, and a door providing access to said upper and base chambers carried by said base and shelf structures and allowing the removal and replacement of said receptacle.

2. A combination display and drain stand for oil cans comprising a hollow shelf structure providing a chamber and including a pair of walls converging toward their upper ends, each of said walls being provided with a plurality of spaced horizontally disposed openings, a plurality of shelves for supporting the cans mounted on each of said walls and projecting through respective openings into said chamber, each of said shelves being declined transversely at an angle from the horizontal to direct draining from the cans through respective openings into said chamber, the inner portion of each of said shelves further declining at an angle greater than the outer portion thereof to provide clearance between said inner portion and the bottoms of the supported IDRIS J'. RICHARDS. 

